1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to training systems, and in particular to adaptive training systems including a mobile unit.
2. Description of Related Art
When an athlete trains for a particular activity they may choose to focus on their weaknesses as well as their strengths. Many times, an athlete that is well rounded has an advantage over other competitors that are only strong in one particular aspect of an athletic activity or sport. Therefore, in selecting a workout routine or program, an athlete (or the athlete's coach) may adapt a given routine or program so that it stresses weaknesses in the athlete's performance.
In many situations, the athlete's weaknesses may not be well known. In such situations it may be useful to have a training system that is configured to evaluate the athlete's performance. Based on this evaluation, a coach or the athlete may make modifications to the training method in an attempt to stress the athlete's weaknesses according to the reported performance.
Several methods and/or devices configured to train an athlete have been previously proposed, including mechanisms for measuring various aspects of the athlete's performance. Davidson (U.S. patent number 2004/0219498) teaches a training system consisting of a computer and a trainer and/or trainee garment configured to accurately track body movements of the wearer. These body movements are then compared to reference body movements and a report is generated with the results of the comparison. In some cases, the reference body movements are generated by a coach or other trainer. For example, a trainee may wish to learn the ideal golf swing, and by comparing their body movements of the swing with the pre-programmed body movements of a golf-pro's swing, they may learn weaknesses in their swing and adapt it to conform closer to the reference swing.
A drawback of the Davidson design is the cumbersome nature of the trainer/trainee garments. In many cases, such garments could prohibit a full range of motion, decreasing the utility of the training system in such circumstances. Furthermore, the Davidson design is primarily intended to be used as a tool for comparing an athlete's body movements with the body movements of a secondary party (a coach, trainer, etc.). The Davidson design does not provide a straightforward means of comparing various aspects of the athlete's performance with one another. Finally, the Davidson design does not provide a clear method for focusing on and stressing weaknesses in the athlete's performance, and especially not in an automated manner.
Bachman (U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,564) teaches a track runner pacing device, including a running track. In the Bachman design, a pacer housing is adapted to move around the running track. The Bachman design also incorporates a control mechanism that effects the movement of the pacer housing about the track at a speed calculated from a distance and a time entered into the control means by a user.
The Bachman design includes several drawbacks. Bachman teaches the use of a pacer housing with a simple rounded track. Although the athlete must turn slightly in order to make their way fully around the track, this training device is generally configured only to stress linear speed and pacing. The Bachman design would not be well suited for training athlete's in sports where one is not confined to a track. In football, for example, an athlete must perform ‘cut-moves’ and general lateral translations that could not be modeled using the Bachman design. Additionally, using the Bachman design, an athlete (or a coach) must program information that is used to calculate a predefined pacing speed for the pacer housing. The Bachman design lacks a provision for automatically adapting the pacer housing speed to stress weaknesses in the athlete's performance.
Dassler (U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,445) teaches an athletic shoe for running and a process for providing an exchange of information concerning moving sequences. In the Dassler design, a transmitter is housed in a free space of the sole of the shoe, which, via a sensor in the sole, can emit at least one output signal. Following the transmission of the signal, a remote receiver receives the emissions. Also, a secondary transmitter and sensor may be associated with a second shoe, whose emissions are also received by the remote receiver either directly or indirectly via the first transmitter. The remote receiver may be linked with a computer. Using the information collected from these emissions, the computer may determine the distance between the first and the second shoes, on the basis of the delay between the receipt by the remote receiver of the directly and indirectly received emissions, as well as other characteristic length values related to stride rate or length. Based on this computed information, which may be stored and later analyzed, conclusions may be drawn with respect to further training phases or sequences and possibly different training phases or sequences.
A drawback of the Dassler design is that it is configured to assess only information related to stride length and/or running speed. The Dassler design lacks provisions for locating the runner along a given trajectory or path, and determining performance aspects of the athlete associated with lateral motions, banking motions, and starting and/or stopping motions. Furthermore, while the Dassler design provides tools for analyzing an athlete's running style, it does not directly provide the athlete with a means for stressing particular weaknesses in their running style. Instead, the athlete and/or coach must analyze the acquired running data and make their own judgments about new training regiments.
In some training exercises, it may be useful to have a training device that can sense the location of the athlete and either move away from, or towards the athlete. In the prior art, devices with such features are usually associated with robots. Several such devices have been previously proposed.
Oohashi (U.S. patent number 2006/0126918) teaches a robot provided with a target object detection apparatus. The target object detection apparatus includes a wireless tag worn by the target object and a camera used for recording image information. Oohashi teaches the use of an RFID tag, in particular, with the target object detection apparatus. Oohashi also teaches the use of an image processor to interpret images recorded by the camera. The camera is configured to take images of the target object's face, and using the image processor, determine, with some associated probability, the identity of the target object.
A drawback to the Oohashi design is that it lacks provisions for use as an athletic training device. Although the robot does include legs for moving, Oohashi does not teach a robot that can run or move at speeds useful for athletic training. Furthermore, the RFID tag is used to signal the target objects identity, but not as a means of location. As a result, the Oohashi design lacks provisions for determining precise distances between the target object and the robot which serves as the target object detection apparatus.
Okamoto (U.S. patent number 2006/0106496) teaches a method of controlling the movement of a mobile robot. This method is intended to provide safe and appropriate accompanying behavior to follow an accompanied target. The Okamoto design includes provisions for detecting the position of the target. The Okamoto design also teaches a method for controlling the robot to walk along a path that is parallel to the moving direction of the accompanied target. The mobile robot includes a robot body, wheels for moving the robot, and a measurement apparatus that detects the position and velocity of the robot body and a calculator that calculates a path for accompanying the accompanied target based on measurements made by the measurement apparatus.
The Okamoto design lacks provisions that would allow its use as an athletic training device. Okamoto teaches a robot that moves in parallel with the target, while a proper training device may require that the robot move ahead of, behind, or in various other directions with respect to the athlete or target. Furthermore, while the Okamoto design includes a measurement apparatus for detecting the speed and location of the target, there are no provisions for storing and analyzing these measurements in order to examine trends in the targets motion as would be useful in a training apparatus.
Hart (U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,968) teaches an interactive toy that is capable of detecting and tracking any nearby heat source such as a human body. The Hart device is further able to move to interact with the heat source, including chasing the heat source, or running away from the heat source. The Hart device also includes sensors to detect unheated objects in its path and may move to avoid these objects.
Although the Hart design does provide a device that may chase or be chased, there are several limitations that limits its use as an athletic training device. Hart does not teach the use of instruments intended to measure the position and/or location of a human. Additionally, Hart fails to teach a mechanism by which the interactive toy can move at speeds relevant to athletic training, including speeds associated with running. Also, the Hart design lacks provisions for adapting to the movements of the human.
The prior art has many shortcomings, as previously discussed. There is a need in the art for a training device or system that may solve many of the problems not addressed by the prior art. In particular, there is a need in the art for an athletic training system that includes a device that can interact with an athlete by chasing, being chased, or other similar activities at speeds that are relevant to athletic activities. Furthermore, there is a need in the art for an athletic training system that includes provisions for analyzing the movements of the athlete, determining weaknesses in the athlete's movements, and automatically adapts its own motion to yield new training routines that stress the athlete's weaknesses.